Black tiger born in Nandankanan zoo
Nandankanan Biological Park authorities claimed on Monday that the zoo was first in India to have a melanistic (black) tiger cub born in captivity.
The zoo celebrated the Global Tiger Day on Monday with joy as the five-year-old white tigress Sneha gave birth to four cubs, including the black cub, on Sunday.
On Monday, authorities released CCTV pictures of the new born cubs.
The Nandankanan zoo authorities are taking due care of the mother and the newborns. The authorities have alerted the veterinary doctors of Nandankanan to remain vigilant. The zoo authorities have increased the amount of meat served to the mother.
“We have raised the quantity of buffalo meat served to the mother by 10 per cent. She is being given 11kg of meat. Besides tablets containing iron, calcium and folic acid are being given to the mother. Similarly, medicines are being given to increase the milk production of the mother,” said a zoo official.
A team of officials is monitoring the health condition of the mother and litters through the CCTV footage. Water served in the off-exhibit enclosure, where the mother is staying with her cubs, is being changed frequently. A zoo official said the health conditions of the mother and the cubs are stable.
In November 2011, five tiger cubs died in the zoo two days after they were born and the zoo authorities had attributed the death to neglect by the first-time mother. Sneha has also delivered for the first time.
While black tigers are rare, camera traps installed at Similipal Tiger Reserve had captured picture of one such adult cat last year.
